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Jan 5, 2015

Indian defence minister admits complications in Rafale talks

India's defence minister has said that negotiations with Dassault over the purchase of 126 Rafale fighters have suffered 'complications'
Minister also suggested that India could opt for more licence-built Su-30s instead
Minister did not specify these difficulties at a press conference in New Delhi, but tellingly stated that additional licence-built Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole fighters would be "adequate" for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the event of the Rafale deal being scrapped.
"The Su-30MKI is an adequate aircraft for meeting the air force's needs,", adding that at INR3.58 billion (USD59.66 million) each, the unit cost of the Su-30MKIs being licence-built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was less than half that of a Rafale.janes